Annual Events

This part of the site shows details of the main annual events that TCF NSW co-ordinates.

Details on when these events will occur are detailed in our Upcoming Events page, past events are on our Past Events page.

We look forward to seeing you at these events. They are a great chance to provide support, reflect and socially interact with each other. Our main annual events include:

Weekend Gathering

The Weekend Gathering was previously known as the Residential Weekend. Its name has been recently changed to be more welcoming for those who are yet to experience this great event. The Weekend Gathering is TCF NSW's main annual event for our members and their families. This event offers participants a chance to meet up with 'old' friends and meet new friends in safe surroundings. The location will change from year to year and will be planned well in advance. The weekend includes listening to speakers, workshops, food and conversation to enjoy, a candle lighting service to honour our children/siblings, dinner (usually on the Saturday night) and fundraising events. The Weekend Gathering is always a success and an event we look forward to every year. Please see the Past Events to see photos from previous weekends and see Upcoming Events for the next Weekend Gathering when planned.

Worldwide Candle Lighting Service

The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting® service is held annually on the second Sunday in December. It is a global service uniting family and friends around the globe as they light candles for one hour to honour and remember children who have died at any age from any cause. Candles are lit at 7pm local time, creating a virtual wave of light around the world, as hundreds of thousands of persons commemorate and honour, in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries, the memory of children who have died. News of where events will be held in NSW will be included in our News & Upcoming Events section of our website as they are planned. If you are unable to attend a service, we encourage you to light a candle for one hour at 7pm no matter where you may be.